Free Hunted by Christine Kersey Page B

not being told the details of the agreement,” the reporter went on. “But apparently Amy Campbell will be treated as if she is Morgan Campbell, for the purposes of completing Morgan Campbell’s time. However, there will be a separate sentence to be carried out by Amy Campbell for the crime of assaulting an Enforcement officer, which will be announced at a later time.”
    “They can’t do that.” I looked at the others in the room, but none of them knew anymore than I did. “That’s so not fair. She hasn’t done anything wrong. How can they do this?”
    “As for Billy Foster,” the reporter said, and we all turned back to the television. “His family has not been found and a deal has not yet been worked out.”
    “What do they mean, your family hasn’t been found?” I demanded, angry and upset. “Where are they? Why aren’t your younger brothers—if you even have any—being dragged away?”  
    “Calm down, Morgan,” Billy said, as unruffled as ever.  
    I narrowed my eyes and spoke softly. “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down.” With my next two sentences, the volume of my voice rose as I spoke. “How dare you tell me to calm down. My sister is being taken away by Hansen .” I was beyond all reason by this point. “You remember him, don’t you, Billy? He’s the one you tasered and the one I stabbed.” I heard the others gasp and murmur in shock, but I ignored them. “He’s the one who wants to kill me.” I glared at Billy. “Still think I should be calm, do you?”
    He looked away from me and shook his head. Then he met my gaze. “Don’t you see, Morgan? It’s all for show. Next thing you know, they’re going to say that if you turn yourself in, they’ll release your sister.” He smiled in what I guess was supposed to be a show of reassurance, but it didn’t quite make the cut. “They won’t hurt her.”
    “And how do you know all of that?”
    That seemed to stump him and I realized that he knew nothing of the sort. I’d really hoped he would have a good answer—maybe he’d seen this kind of thing before, or he knew someone this had happened to—but no, he was just trying to make me feel better.
    “They’re just trying to get you to turn yourself in,” he said.
    I tilted my head slightly. “You know I can’t do that.”
    He frowned, like he’d hoped I’d forgotten about the whole parallel universe thing, like it had just been a wacky phase I’d been going through. “Right. I wasn’t suggesting you do it. Just that they want you to.”
    I sighed.
    “They’re taking her away,” Mitch said, pointing to the TV.
    I watched as Hansen shoved Amy into the backseat of a car and slammed the door shut. The camera zoomed in to the window of the backseat, where Amy was sobbing. Then Hansen climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled away. Once the car was out of view, the camera panned back to the front door. There stood Mom, looking shell-shocked. My little brothers huddled next to her, obviously shaken.
    “I’ll kill him,” I muttered, Hansen’s face crystal clear in my mind.
    “They’re using her as bait,” Jack said from the doorway.
    As one, we turned towards him.  
    He walked into the room, turned off the TV, and sat in a chair. “Have a seat, Morgan.” He gestured to the spot next to Billy.
    I sank onto the floor and leaned against the couch.
    “What do you mean?” Nathan asked. “Like to get these guys…” He waved his hand in our direction. “To turn themselves in?”
    “That’s exactly what they want.” Jack leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the coffee table. “Then they can show that they really are in charge.”
    I stared straight ahead, only half-listening to their conversation, my mind focused on what Amy must be experiencing. Soon she would arrive at Camp Willowmoss and get chipped like an animal. They’d put her in a room—I desperately hoped it would be with someone like Alyx and not someone like Beth—then have her meet